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Born Viola Mae Wilkerson in the Watts district of South Los Angeles, Wills was already married from her teens. She was the mother of six children before the age of 21. In 1965, she was discovered by Barry White who signed her to Bronco Records and renamed her with the shorter stage surname of Wills; from her first marriage name of Lyons.[4] She started her career at the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and, over the following years, in addition to working with White, also performed with Joe Cocker, Smokey Robinson and many other established recording artists of the era. It was while working in London as one of Cocker's backing vocalists (dubbed the "Sanctified Sisters") that she worked on and released her solo debut album of self-penned originals titled Soft Centres, backed by Cocker's session players.[5]

Wills' first major break into the mainstream came in 1979 with her cover version of "Gonna Get Along Without You Now" (the song's release date was May 14, 1979) which started a string of dancehits.[5] All three of the songs would land Wills in the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.[5] In 1982 her cover of "Stormy Weather" hit #4 in the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart.[3][5] Later in 1983, the newly formed record label RVA (Robert Viola Ashmun), released a number of songs, including "Wall", "Space" and "If These Walls Could Speak".

On February 21, 1982 in Hennepin County, Minnesota; she married Robert Chappell Ashmun. This was her 2nd marriage. Later in 1983, the new husband and wife pair formed the record label RVA (Robert Viola Ashmun).

Wills died of cancer on May 6, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.[8] Her funeral was held at the Macedonia Abbey Baptist Church in Los Angeles on May 15, 2009.[5]

Viola left behind six children - Vincent, Christopher, Regina, Madonna, David and Rejal, 21 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.